This "novella" is a very pleasant read. I did not come to this conclusion immediately... I reflected upon the entire story, and I must admit: I like these kind of stories - the kind where the protagonists find meaning and purpose in their lives by living through a tragedy. I got the sense that even though everything was not alright, this was by no means a happy ending... but somehow we all find a way to live through it.
Its amazing how differently I feel about this book after reading the entire story. After reading till page 56, i thought this was a very depressing read, and I couldn't identify with the characters. i sort of... zoned out. But it's remarkable how Mikage's and Yuichi's characters are so universally appealing and as I approached the end, I was a little sad that I couldn't meet them. That's saying a lot from me. Mikage joins a very short list of fictional characters I want to meet in person.
The humor in particular, I found quite enjoyable. It was understated, light, slightly masked and unexpected. Never failed to bring a smile to my lips... especially Yuichi's "girlfriend" from university... what fun!
I loved the way Yoshimoto uses unusual imagery to depict the character's feelings. At page 56, I was at a loss to understand why she would name the novella "Kitchen", now I'm starting to realize the image connection. All that drunken talk by Yuichi actually made sense, but I guess that soul stuff was a little over-the-top.
If you liked this novella, I highly recommend reading David Mitchell's "Number 9 Dream". Although Mitchell's a British writer, #9 Dream is based in Japan with 100% authentic Japanese characters... its a little weird at first, but once you read it like 3-4 times, the genuis of the book jumps out at you.
I so concur with the part where Yuichi's "girlfriend" comes by to Mikage's work site and Mikage responds along the lines of "or should I bring a kitchen knife and chase you." XD That was morbid but friggin' awesome as it fit the scenario due to the girlfriend thinking Mikage was quite the "dirty" character.
ReplyDeletelol, yeah that part was great. I definitely agree with you Hasan. I thought this book was great. It was a short and pretty easy read, but it contained as much thought provoking content as the other books we have read. I enjoyed the humor also. Like you said, it was light and subtle. It was seemed more like ironic life instances and casual remarks by the characters than blatant humor. I smiled and even laughed at some points. I need to review drunken Yuichi's speech, but yes, I thought "Kitchen" was a little odd for a title, but it made sense afterward. The kitchen served as a place of comfort and character. The kitchen/food brought all of them together, comforted them, and helped them relate and overcome their obstacles.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the book recommendation, I will try to check it out sometime.
I found Kitchen to be an engaging read that, though its brevity, allowed for inferences by the reader that cannot be found in a longer, more descriptive text. This was different for me, as I prefer the wordier texts that provide interest from the intricacies of the detail, but I found the interest in the lack of detail to be something different, which is neither better nor worse than the other. That is my two cents on Kitchen.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I liked most about the book was the simple style it was written in. The sentences and vocabulary weren't overly complex. The simple style allowed for Banana to handle certain weighty issues without it feeling overbearing or oppressive.
ReplyDelete